Gerhard sat at his new, heavily upgraded computer. He had taken time to improve it, and it was worth it. At this rate, he was a master at scavenging and creating miracles from scrap metal and seemingly worthless materials. Not that he did that anymore, of course, he could use the resources he created and then use them to create higher-tiered items.
Quite fucking broken.
He had roughly 6 months to prepare thanks to time dilation, but since he spent quite a bit of time with Sera Vahl, that was reduced to 3.5 months at most. Thankfully, Gerahrd didn't need that much time to fix his armour. And the reason for that was, of course, his [Engineering] skill and all the other ones that went along with it, and, probably, the most important one: [Special Creation].
Special Creation (Active) Lv. 91
| A skill to make something. Humanity has advanced its civilisation through inventing things. Created objects become higher quality as the mastery level rises.
Effects:
| Registered blueprint: 1293
| Probability of failure when crafting items of Apprentice Grade or above: 9%
| No resources used for items below Beginner Grade
| No chance of failure when creating items below Apprentice Grade.
Novice -> Beginner -> Apprentice -> Adept -> Special -> Legendary -> Mythical -> Transcendental
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And Gerhard was more than happy with his current progress. He was already about to move up to another grade in the skill, and it made sense. He used no other skill as much as that one. And thanks to the Gamer title, it had grown even faster.
"So what do you think, Hans? Not good?"
> I would prefer the Kastelan Robot as my primary body rather than the rotting Datasmith Cybernetica.
"I understand, but by placing you inside the Tech Priest, you not only get to speak openly with me and those around, but you also get to control the Kastelan without a problem as a 'Datasmith'. You have multiple processing threads anyway. And it grants us a very narrow window into the Mechanicum of Mars."
> The idea of using such a rotting body doesn't appeal to me. If it helps your plans, Master, I'll do it, of course.
"Are you joking? We're naturally going to give you the cream of the crop of tech I can create right now—none of that disgusting 'holy' oil shit."
> But then how are we going to convince others that I'm truly what I appear to be?
"Well, your appearance won't be pretty, but what lies beneath is going to be seriously powerful. I'll give you better muscles and just cover it with the disgusting leather hide that the Tech Priest had. And the mechandrites also won't look good, but will be insane."
> I see. That does make it a lot better. Then let's do it.
"Good. Thanks to [Biology Mastery] and [Chemistry Mastery], I can rather easily 'grow' the cells enough to give you pieces of a biological body. We'll also add chemical fluids to better integrate the machinery. I have it all planned out. And if it doesn't work, I have the healing potions."
> A pleasing thought, Master. I look forward to what you have planned now.
"Don't worry, I'll give you a body as powerful as none other among the Mechanicum. Not even Belisarius Cawl will hold a candle."
> The irony that a former Man of Iron, turned Artificial Soul, takes over the body of a Tech Priest and will do better, is not lost to me.
"Now that you think about it... You're right."
So Gerhard got to work, starting with the weaponry first.
.
In total, Gerhard was focused on the following points.
#1: Improvements of all the weapons he acquired.
#2: The creation of a superior Kastelan Robot for Hans to control
#3: Levelling his Mana-based attack skills
Number 1 was a rather important project, as he got some very powerful weapons. First and foremost, the Orks Burnas, which Gerhard was going to use to create flamers of different shapes and sizes. A flamer was important as Gerhard didn't want to have to worry about the Ork spores.
Plus, it was a powerful weapon to use, no matter the enemy. The Salamanders proved as much.
Then there was the Gamma Pistol that the Datasmith had. This weapon, even in the hands of an idiot, was capable of breaking down targets at the atomic level. There were only three shots per magazine, but that was alright given the weapon's power.
Only that it wasn't alright, since Gerhard was never going to bother spending time switching out magazines after three lousy shots. So, he was going to turn that one into a truly disgustingly powerful weapon.
After that, there was the Phosphor blaster, mounted on the Kastelan Robot and capable of burning through armour and lighting up targets. That was a powerful weapon to have, especially considering the high fire rate it showed during their fight.
Then there was the Galvanic rifle, which the Skitarii Ranger had used. Galvanic Rifles are weapons that fire specialised servitor-bullets over long distances, causing the target's potential energy to burn out in a killing blast of electric force.
Quite a powerful weapon to have and improve.
That brought us to the second-to-last weapon of interest: the Arc Pistol. Arc Weapons were powered by permacapacitors shipped from Mars. They were ancient weapons that stored energy. They discharge with a loud crack, firing a bolt of blue-white electricity that can fry a man's brain or overload a warmachine's circuits in seconds. One shot from an Arc Pistol can cause a Grot to explode or stop an Ork's heart and punch it backwards with the force of its energy.
It was also this little thing that caused immense problems for the Iron Monger. Although it was a combined effort from all the weapons used, it was still rather effective, and if Hans hadn't been Mana-powered, Gerhard would have died 100%.
Finally, that leaves the last 'guns' that Gerhard was going to address and study: The Snazzgun and Deffgun.
To quote the Flash Git, Fat Druzka: 'Bought me a deffblasta off Rotskrag earlier. Nice little killa. Just ask Rotskrag, hur hur.'
They were 'good' weapons from the Ork standpoint. These guns varied widely in design and general principles of operation so that the term may refer to a bewildering variety of kustom and insanely expensive weaponry, much like a Deffgun.
However, one thing was always true - Snazzguns were always big, loud, rapid-firing, and assuredly dealt bloody death. All Snazzguns were unpredictable and deadly on the battlefield, and could always be even further enhanced to make them even deadlier.
Gerhard had already created the Spartan, which combined las-technology and bolter rounds. It was a very good thing, too, since it allowed him to use different attack methods without needing to switch guns. That saved time.
Right now, with the MK III-H, Gerhard had a Lightning Claw with a Storm Bolter mounted on it and a Power Sword, which he used with his left hand. He could quickly take out the assault cannon and connect it to the ammunition storage inside the suit. And he had smart missiles.
So, all in all, it wasn't bad, but it was still a bit too impractical. He thought about going the Dreadnought route with his heavy armour, but didn't really like it all that much. He liked to be flexible during combat and have as much mobility as possible. A Dreadnought didn't allow that as much as he wanted, which was why the Iron Monger seemed like a good middle ground.
But it still seemed too small. At almost 10 feet (3 meters), it was impractical to mount the assault cannon on the arm, as it would hinder Gerhard when he used the Power Sword.
> I suggest you focus on the smaller improvements for now, such as adding more ammunition, increasing durability, and reducing the DEX penalty. As you create smaller weapons with the same amount of damage output, you will eventually be able to fit all that you want without enormous size increases.
> I also suggest finally focusing on your Mana-dependent attack spells. They are useful and very versatile, and you have more than enough Mana even while powering the MK III-H.
"Those are very good points, Hans. I can also fit the weapons on your Kastelan body."
> Indeed. Outsourcing is the keyword here.
"Then let's finish this project."
Gerhard moved on to the Kastelan Robot, which would serve as one of Hans's main bodies. He wouldn't speak using it, which allowed Gerhard to use the space differently. He already knew how to create Polymorphic Alloy, which, now that his skills [Material Analysis] and [Observe] had increased further, was a brilliant mixture of some of the most powerful materials like Adamantium and even, yes, it was true Auramite!
Humanity during the Golden Age was fucking ridiculous.
Now, it also made sense why, despite being constantly fired upon for several minutes by the Mechanicus, the Kastelan and the Skitarii Rangers, it hadn't managed to reach Gerhard fully. It was the immense radiation that effectively almost killed him. The heat had mostly been absorbed, and even the radiation was severely weakened when it hit him.
That showed just how dangerous those weapons were, especially if fired with wild abandon. To almost kill Gerhard was impressive. But now, that would be much harder.
Gehard had figured out the ratio of the different materials in the Polymorphic Alloy and realised that Auramite accounted for a very low percentage, which made sense. But Gerhard was now closing in on unthinkable levels in the [Creation] department.
He guessed that as soon as he hit [Legendary Creation], he would be able to create Auramite from nothing.
"Perfectly balanced," Gerhard said, which sounded even more appropriate since he had a British accent.
After a lot of work and further research, hundreds of thousands of failures, the Kastelan Robot was finally ready. And what a glorious creation it was.
-
[Kastelan Battle Automata – "Iron Castellan Pattern" – Rank: Special]
| A reconstructed and enhanced Kastelan Robot, brought to life through Gerhard's engineering and artificial spirit integration, allowing Hans to use it as an attacking body.
| Designed as a frontline siege unit, this automata combines overwhelming durability with brutal close-range firepower and relentless melee capability.
Stats:
| MP: 450/min (Artificial Spirit Core Assisted)
| Durability: 7,000/7,000 (Auto-Repair: 200/min base)
| Energy Core: Artificial Spirit (Sub-Core Logic)
| Armour Class: Heavy Automata
STR: 140
VIT: 180
DEX: 20
INT: (Hans Core)
WIS: (Hans Core)
Defensive Effects:
| +100% Mid-Class Physical Resistance (Kastelan Battlehide)
| +80% Mid-Class Energy Resistance
| +60% Mid-Class Shockwave Resistance
Kastelan Battlehide:
| Reinforced ceramite-plasteel composite plating
| Resistant to Krak-grade explosives
| -40% incoming critical damage
| Head-mounted Scoptic Sensor Plate enhances battlefield awareness
Thermal Regulation Layer:
| -60% heat generation
| High resistance to flame and plasma weapons
Polymorphic Reinforcement:
| Minor adaptive resistance to repeated damage
| +5% resistance per hit (max +50%)
Weapons Systems:
| To be added
-
"You know, sometimes my genius, it's... It's almost frightening."
> This... is truly frightening.
"Did I really improve this to the point where it's stronger than the Ork Nobz we fought?"
> Well, I am not yet quite clear on the translation from durability to health. But yes, in terms of STR and VIT, the Kastelan Automaton is stronger than an Ork Nob, at least on average. I don't think you can say that it is stronger than all Nobz.
"That's true. Hans, play 'If You Want Blood' from the 'alternating and direct current' group while I focus on the weapons."
> As you wish.
🎸 {It's criminaaaal
There ought to be a laaw
Criminaaaal
There ought to be a whole lot more}🎸
Gerhard got to work, feeling fired up by the music. And it would prove to be useful for his endeavour, because he was about to create some insane weapons for the Kastelan.
{If you want blood.... you've got it.}
...
"Voila! Now, what about the weapons? Good?"
> I can safely say, they are 'rather' good, yes.
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[Phosphor Blaster – Rank: Special]
| An advanced Mechanicus weapon system designed for battlefield control. Targets struck are illuminated and hunted relentlessly, turning them into priority kill markers for all subsequent attacks.
- Durability: 760/760
- Damage: 820
- Critical Chance: 32%
- Fire Rate: High
Special Effects:
Phosphor Incendiary Rounds
| +150% burn damage
| Burning spreads between nearby enemies
| -48% heat generation
Advanced Target Illumination
| Marked targets take +30% damage
| Burning duration significantly increased
Auto-Guided Volley System
| Shots home in on marked targets
| +40% accuracy
Armor Searing
| -55% armour effectiveness while burning
Radiant Exposure
| Marked targets are visible through cover
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[Heavy Flamer – "Inferno Purge Engine" – Rank: Special]
- Durability: 1,200/1,200
- Damage: 650 (per second)
- Fire Rate: Continuous
- Fuel Capacity: 600 units
Special Effects:
Inferno Promethium (Heavy Grade)
| +250% burn damage
| Extremely rapid incineration of organic targets
Adhesive Firestorm (Expanded)
| Flames stick and spread aggressively between targets
| Can engulf entire groups at once
Armour Breakdown (Enhanced)
| -60% armour effectiveness while burning
| Effective even against heavy armour
Fuel Overdrive (Heavy Output)
| +75% damage
| -75% fuel consumption
| -60% cooling time
Perfect Ignition System
| Instant ignition
| No delay or misfire
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[Power Fist – "Cataclysm Gauntlet" – Rank: Special]
- Durability: 550/550
- Damage: 850
- Critical Chance: 15%
- Attack Speed: DEX dependent
Special Effects:
Annihilation Disruption Field
| Ignores 90% armour
| Partially bypasses energy shielding
Devastation Strike (Enhanced)
| +180% damage
| Massive bonus vs large and armoured targets
Armour Collapse (Advanced)
| Reduces target armour by 35% per hit
| Stacks up to -70%
Enhanced Servo Core
| +75 STR
| Greatly increased striking force
Seismic Impact
| Large AoE shockwave on hit
| Knockback + stagger effect
Structural Breaker
| +100% damage vs vehicles, fortifications, and heavy units
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[Gauntlet Bolter – Rank: Special]
- Durability: 820/820
- Damage: 660 (per shot)
- Critical Chance: 18%
- Fire Rate: Burst / Full-Auto
Special Effects:
Stabilised Fire Control
| Perfect accuracy during burst and sustained fire
Mass-Reactive Rounds
| +50% internal explosion damage
| Ignores 50% armour
| No accuracy penalty
Gauntlet Integration System
| Mounted directly into the power gauntlet
| No recoil
| Can fire while engaged in melee
Close-Quarters Execution
| +25% damage at close range
| Increased hit reliability in melee combat
-
"Hmm, you know, I have an idea. Hold off on connecting to it."
Gerhard sat down before the computer and started typing. He had done something similar back when he was trying to solve the corrupted logic core of the AI that is now known as Hans. But this time, he has more experience and is dealing with a far weaker level of intelligence than before.
He started coding, focusing on nothing else for hours as he attempted the impossible once more. He picked the code apart like an onion, then recreated each layer, all the while adding his Mana through the machinery.
All of the materials he used were now infused with his Mana, for the simple reason that he didn't want to deal with corrupted technology. That would be the galaxy's doom.
"There, I think... I did it."
> I believe you did, Master. A very elegant solution, I must say. Masterfully done.
"Thank you. Now let's see whether we can't get this to work."
Gerhard connected the Kastelan Automaton to the computer and then loaded the new, large, and masterfully changed code into the core logic processor.
{Loading...}
{15% ... 28% ... 42% ... 66% ... 89% ... 99% ... 100%}
{Upload complete}
[A new skill has been created through a special action]
[A skill to create and control 'Golems' has been created.]